RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The Triangle ranks among the top spots nationally for tech industries, according to a new report by the North Carolina Technology Association.

The new Tech Innovation Index ranks the Raleigh and Durham’s metro areas as the second and third spots out of 110 metros in the country for innovation.

“That’s built on the strength of research and development in the area and entrepreneurship and of course our institutions are especially strong,” NC TECH president Brooks Raiford said.

In the report, Raleigh and Cary rank sixth for supply of tech workers nationally, while Durham and Chapel-Hill ranks ninth.

“I think the Triangle can keep this momentum going by just tending to our existing strengths and making sure that policies and investments continue to support those,” Raiford said.

Local training colleges like Wake Tech and Durham Tech are a part of creating that workforce by keeping up with new IT, health and biotech programs so students can take advantage of the area’s growth.

“Think about jobs, manufacturing, vaccines, other life-saving medicines, cell and gene therapy,” Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton said. “These are jobs that we are just going to see continue to grow. We want our residents to be in those jobs.”

“When you marry us up with the great research institutes, the other private colleges and the schools, it creates this ecosystem,” Wake Tech president Dr. Scott Ralls said. “People are moving here for opportunities. But what we also want is for people to move up here.”

Besides large North Carolina cities, NC TECH reported some smaller cities which performed well for their size, like Wilmington and Greenville.